Judas Priest
Firepower
Rating: ****
As they slowly approach their 50th
anniversary, Judas Priest have released a brand new studio album. The album, Firepower, is the band’s first album
since 2014’s Redeemer of Souls and
their eighteenth studio album overall. On the production side, the band worked
with producer Andy Sneap and even Tom Allom, who produced Priest’s studio work
in the 1980s. From top to bottom, Firepower
is a strong album and a worthy follow up to Redeemer of Souls.
The
album opens fittingly firing on all cylinders with the title track. Right from
the start, it’s a brutal throwdown of heavy metal- complete with gallops, chugs
and twin guitar harmonies from guitarists Ritchie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton. Singer
Rob Halford shrieks his way through the song, as well as the entire album. Even
at 66 years old, Halford’s voice still sounds solid. Some listeners might be
impressed by Halford’s ability to hit those high notes, especially on songs
such as the hard-hitting “Lightning Strikes” and the rapid fire “Flame Thrower.”
The former is the lead single for the album while the latter has some top notch
drumming from Scott Travis. With a title like Firepower, you would expect the songs from such an album to live up
to that title. The album certainly does live up to its title with massive onslaughts
of heavy metal delivered through songs such as the menacing “Evil Never Dies”
and the guitar-driven “Traitors Gate.” While a heavy album throughout its near
one hour runtime, the band are able to present different variations to the
Judas Priest sound. Songs such as the militant “Rising from Ruins” and the hypnotic
“Spectre” demonstrate the band’s ability in composing slower tunes while
maintaining a heavy sound. Other songs on here sound as if the band are taking
inspiration from their peers. The psychedelic “Children of the Sun” and the
doom-ridden “Lone Wolf” both sound like songs Black Sabbath could’ve churned
out back in the day. Like Redeemer of Souls,
Firepower ends with a ballad- “Sea of
Red.” While I prefer “Beginning of the End,” “Sea of Red” ends the album on a
good note.
Simply
put, Firepower is another great album
from Judas Priest. After four listens, I’m now finding myself preferring this
over Redeemer of Souls. I still like Redeemer of Souls but I feel that Firepower is a more consistent album. With
a new album out, the band will be touring in support of it. Prior to the album’s
release, it was sadly announced that longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton would be
retiring from live performing given his diagnosis with Parkinson ’s disease ten years prior. While Andy Sneap will be
filling in for him, Tipton will remain a member of Judas Priest. For the first
time since their early years, Judas Priest will be touring without the twin
guitar duo of KK Downing and Glenn Tipton- which is a massive loss. With an
album as strong as Firepower, this
would be a good album to go out with. Some fans are even asking for the band to
hang it up. For the time being, I think we should just sit back and enjoy this
new album.
